His Butler, Shocked
by Draco Regno-DragonKingdom
Summary: The first story in the "The Adventures of Neko Aiko-Michaelis" series. Our favorite demon butler gets a blast from the past one stormy night.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The butler stood in the kitchen, polishing the silverware. A mundane task, but it kept his hands busy. His mind was wandering to his days before his current master. Though his cinematic record may show no signs of it, Sebastian himself still retained all the memories of his life before becoming one hell of a butler. At the moment, he was thinking about a certain Japanese cat demon, who he had courted for some time roughly five years prior to his current contract.

Sebastian's pleasant memory was interrupted by a practically inaudible rapping at the front door. If it had been anyone but him, they would not have heard it, even if they had been standing right beside the door listening intently.

"Who could it be in this storm? My master will soon be retiring, who could be calling so late?"

The butler put down his rag and the spoon he had been working on, and walked up the steps to the front hall. However even **he** had no warning as to what he would find behind the door. For upon opening there stood, soaked to the bone…

A little girl. Her skin was dark and reminded him of that cat demon from not so long ago. She was small and could be no older than five. However her eyes, which seemed so much like his own, held wisdom far beyond her years. Under a thick cotton hood, long black hair was plastered to her skin and clothes, all the way down to her feet where it clung to her buckle shoes like wet grass. In her tiny hands, she clutched a small black bag. From it she pulled a slightly damp letter and held it up to him. It was addressed to Sebastian Michaelis.

Ushering the girl in from the rain, Sebastian took the letter from her and led her down to the kitchen, where he gave her a small cup of warm milk sweetened with honey, and a slice of what was left of his master's dessert. She sipped the milk daintily, but was unsure of how to approach the sweet. Sebastian observed the young guest for a moment, then proceeded to open the letter.

 _My dear Sebas-chan,_

 _Has it really been five years since you were last with me here in Japan? The girl before you is called Aiko Neko, sometimes Kuroineko, other times Koneko, but to me she is known by another name: Neko Michaelis. Yes, this long-haired, red-eyed child is your daughter and I fear I can no longer care for her properly. She is your responsibility now. Take her in or send her away, but make sure she is well taken care of._

 _Love Always,_

 _One hell of a kitty, Aiko Nekoma_

At the sound of the shocked gasp her host made, Neko looked up with concern. The sudden movement knocked back her hood, revealing two silky cat ears. She rushed to cover her head again, but Sebastian had already seen. Setting the letter down, he reached over and removed her hood.

Her ears flattened against her skull and she let out a warning hiss. Sebastian ignored the threat and gently stroked the top of her head. After a few repeated strokes, Neko relaxed. A soft, gentle purr emanated from her chest.

"Neko, my name is Sebastian Michaelis. Do you know who I am?"

Neko nodded drowsily, in time with his hand, "Mother says that you are my father. Is it true?" Her voice was soft and light, like a kitten's mewing.

Sebastian stopped petting her and lifted her chin, observing her face, "You have your mother's skin tone and round face, but those eyes and that mouth solely belong to me. That nose, however, is something of your own."

Neko stared into her father's face, noting where his features mimicked her own, or rather the other way around. They sat there for some time, studying each other with the same blood red, piercing eyes. Finally Sebastian clapped his hands and broke the trance.

"Well Neko, my dear, we must first get you a hot bath and a warm bed. Have you any night clothes?"

The kitten demon shook her head.

"Then I guess you will have to wear one of my shirts until I can procure some proper nightwear. Tomorrow you will meet the master and I will figure out what to do from there."

Neko nodded in silent agreement.

Sebastian led his daughter to his own humble room, then got a bath ready for her. However, when he reached to remove her rain-soaked dress, she leaned away from him.

He sighed, "Come now, Neko, you cannot bathe your dress on." He reached for her again and she jumped away and hissed.

"No!"

"Come here!" Sebastian made a wild grab for her and managed to catch her. With much howling and spitting, not to mention biting and scratching, Sebastian managed to get the girl out of her dress and underthings, but made no effort to get her into the bath. She scowled at him and turned her back to him. That was when he noticed the long black tail at the bottom of her back.

"You have a tail, as well?"

She sniffed at him, but could not maintain her silent treatment, "Yes. I can move it any way I want. Watch!"

The she sneezed.

This alarmed Sebastian, "You should get in the bath while it's warm, Neko dear, so that you do not catch cold."

Neko looked away from him, "Mother and I always bathed in the hot spring together." she said with a whimper, her tail dropping low. Then she burst into tears.

Sebastian sighed, "I know you are used to the way things were in Japan, but in England hot springs are for relaxing at a resort. Come now. Into the bath." And with gentle coaxing, Sebastian managed to wash and dress her without another meltdown or tantrum.

Then he put her to sleep in his own bed and went to help his master prepare for bed as well. When Ciel inquired about the noise, Sebastian assured him it would be best to wait until morning. Then he went to make some calls.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Bright sunshine filled the room. Ciel rolled away from it.

"Master, it is time to get up."

 _Up? Oh yes. Sebastian._

"This morning I have prepared a black pudding, eggs, and your choice of either toast, raspberry scones or a small bowl of hot cereal."

"The scone." Sebastian began dressing his master.

"Yes, my lord. As of this morning, we have an unexpected guest, who I will introduce to you at breakfast. Lady Elizabeth and Lady Francis will be by for afternoon tea."

"Very well." Ciel sniffed his tea before taking a sip, "Darjeeling today?"

"Yes, sir. From Ridgways of London."

"And what is the manner of this 'surprise guest'?"

""Our guest is here for… personal reasons, as you will understand once you are introduced."

"Will he be dining with me?"

"I will have to ask. Our guest is still asleep at the moment."

"Really? When did he arrive?"

"Late last night. In fact, the guest was the cause of the noise."

"So that is why you said I should wait until morning."

"Exactly. I will meet you in the dining hall. I must tend to our guest."

Ciel waved Sebastian away.

Silently the black-clad butler moved down the hall and towards his bedroom. However, when he got there, Neko was not in the room. Her things had not been touched, but that meant that she was walking around in his shirt. Sebastian walked quickly to the drawing room, pool room, then into the dining hall. There she was, sitting next to Tanaka on a little grass mat, drinking tea from a mug similar to Tanaka's. Ciel was sitting at the head of the table, breakfast untouched, staring at her. Well, staring at her ears and tail. She was, in fact, still wearing Sebastian's shirt.

"Sebastian, who is this creature? Is your way of getting a cat without actually getting a cat? Is she like Pluto?"

Neko frowned, "Who's Pluto?"

Sebastian stepped forward, "Pluto, my dear, is the demon hound of the estate. And, young master, this 'creature' as you have referred to her is my daughter and the, ehem, unexpected guest."

The other servants were standing by Ciel and had been wondering about the strange girl as well, but were too frightened to ask.

Mey-Rin stared at the small child again, "Wait, does that mean you're married, Sebastian?"

"No. I have not been in contact with her mother for many years, until last night, when Neko showed up with a letter from her."

Finnian stared hard at Neko, "Hey, she does look like you!"

Baldroy frowned, "Hey, if she's your daughter, why do she have… uh…"

"The ears and tail?" Baldroy looked down, "Well, some people are just a little more perfect than others. Isn't that right, Neko?"

"Yes, sir."

Finny frowned, "Neko, you shouldn't call Mister Sebastian 'sir'. He's your dad. Call him something more… familiar. That's what kids do with their dad's, right?"

Neko looked at Finny and nodded sharply, "Hai!" Then she turned to Sebastian, "What about Otōsan?"

Finny looked at Neko, "What does 'auto-sun' mean?"

Neko laughed, "O-tō-sa-n! It means daddy. Or should I call you Chichi?"

Sebastian smiled, "Either is fine with me. Now, Neko, the seamstress should be here soon."

Ciel frowned, "Seamstress?"

"Neko has only the lone dress she arrived in. I believed, whether she is to stay here or not, she ought to have more clothes, as well as proper nightwear."

"Why wouldn't she stay? You intend to take care of her, correct?"

"Of course. If I couldn't do that much, what kind of a father would I be? It all rested on your word, young master. If you had been against it, I would have to send her away."

Neko tugged on her Otōsan's tailcoat, "Chichi, I'm hungry."

"I will bring you something in a moment. Now," He turned to the servants, "you three ought to be working. Tanaka, you may remain as you are."

"Ho-ho-ho!" And the four disappeared.

Sebastian walked over to Neko and lifted her into his arms, "We should get you something to eat and get and get your hair done before the seamstress arrives."

"Sebastian."

The butler paused, "Yes, my lord?"

"Is her mother like you?"

"Mostly, my lord."

"How can she be mostly a demon?"

"In Japan, demon and human pairs are as common as human couples. The Aiko family is one such branch. Nekoma is a third generation half-demon breed, so she is mostly a demon. As is Neko. However, Neko craves human food, and can also devour souls. She is an interesting child indeed."

Neko's stomach growled softly, "Otōsan…" she said softly.

"Yes. Breakfast. Young Master, I will leave you to your own devices until Neko is done with her fitting." With that, Sebastian and Neko left the hall.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

"Ow! The pin stuck me! Otōsan is this really necessary?"

Sebastian sighed, "Perhaps if you didn't move so much you wouldn't be getting stuck. And you are in desperate need of a new wardrobe. Madam, is there any way you can have something done in a few hours, before 4 o'clock?"

"That's pushing it even for me. But I suppose I could whip something up. Yes, a little deep purple dress with a full skirt and puffed up sleeves. A gold ribbon around the waist and lace around the neck. She'll look charming! All right, darling. I've finished your measurements."

"UGH! FINALLY!" Neko exclaimed, clambering down from the stool she'd been forced to stand on, "I can move freely!"

Sebastian bowed to the seamstress, "Thank you, madam."

"The pleasure was all mine. I haven't worked on someone so petite in ages! This will be a lovely opportunity. Bows and ribbons! Darling, how do you feel about bells."

"I love them! They're all… twinkly."

"Bells! This will be marvelous."

"Neko, come. I must prepare the master's lunch." Sebastian led Neko from the parlor into the main hall, then down to the kitchen.

"What is for lunch, Otōsan?"

"For lunch today we have pan-fried salmon with a lemon butter sauce. Dessert will be a light chocolate mousse."

"We're going to eat a mouse?"

"No, my dear. Mousse. It is a bit like whipped cream."

"I like whipped cream."

"I'm sure you do. Now, do you want to help me?"

"Fish!"

"Alright. Now over on this we have the salmon."

"Oooo! It's still got it's head! And all the insides!"

"It's fresh. Now hand me that knife, dear. Carefully."

"What are you going to do?"

"I am going to remove the skin, innards, and bones. The fish must then be cleaned and fried."

"Oooh…"

Sebastian took the knife from his young pupil and drew it length-wise across the fish's belly, "The trash please, Neko. Thank you." And before she could really process it, he had removed the skin and intestines, but stepped aside suddenly, "The next steps are to clean and debone the fish. Would you like to try?"

Neko stared at the fish, then quickly reached out and pulled out the bone from the tail. Sebastian held out the bin and she dropped the bones, head, and tail into it. Then he whisked the steak away and rinsed it off. He gently patted it dry, then set it on the cutting board.

"Neko, would you like to help me cut the fish into two steaks?"

She nodded and he brought a stool from a nearby closet and set it in front of him. She stepped up and took the knife. Sebastian took her hand, knife and all, and guided her carefully through the slice.

"Now we must prepare the sauce and heat up the pan. Will you help me?"

She nodded once more, and he gathered the ingredients. Together they sliced a lemon in half, finely minced a clove of garlic, and put butter in a hot pan on the stove. Then Sebastian tossed the steaks into the pan with the garlic, as Neko sprinkled on salt and pepper, and quickly prepared the sauce with a few spices, melted butter, and lemon juice. Sebastian set one steak on a plate and helped his daughter drizzle the sauce over the fish.

Suddenly there was a crash and the pair went to investigate. Mey-Rin had broken dishes. Again.

"I'm so sorry, Sebastian! I wanted to hurry to set the table, but I tripped on me boot laces and the dishes went everywhere."

"Really, Mey-Rin. How many times have I told you about running in the manor? Neko, will you help her while I finish preparing lunch?"

"Hai, Otōsan!" Neko looked up at Mey-Rin as Sebastian walked back to the kitchen, sighing, "So... what now?"

"I guess we better tidy up, then get a new set of dishes from the cupboard."

"Yoshi. Mey-Rin-san, you clean up and I'll get the dishes. Where is the cupboard?"

"Down the hall, deary. You'll know when you see it."

"Domo." Neko skipped down the hall and walked up the cupboard. She opened it up and grabbed the dishes from the lower shelf. Then she went up to the dining hall and set the table. Then she heard a howl from outside and found her way into the garden.

The first thing she saw were a few burnt trees. Then she heard the noise again and saw Finnian riding a large, greyish-white dog. _That must be Pluto_.

"Oi! Finnian-sama!" She waved at the boy.

He laughed, "Come on, Pluto. It's Sebastian's daughter!"

Pluto turned and ran towards her. Neko waited until he was only about ten feet away before she yelled, "Sit!"

Pluto stopped so suddenly Finny went flying, landing in a bush.

"Ha, ha! Pluto!" He exclaimed, laughing.

"Gomennasai, Finnian-san!" Neko ran over and helped him out of the shrubbery.

"It's okay. But call me something less formal. We're friends after all!" He smiled.

"Alright, Finni-chan."

"Oi! Finni, Neko! Stop playing' around and come inside!"

"It's Baldroy-sama! Let's go, Finni-chan!"

"Alright!"

Neko turned to Pluto, "Lie down. Good boy!" Then she ran inside.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

"The dress is a bit loose around the shoulders, but that can be fixed with a pinch and a pin."

"She looks darling! The bell necklace was a brilliant move on my part."

A bell rung somewhere in the manor. Sebastian pulled out his watch, "Come, Neko. We must great Lady Elizabeth and Lady Francis."

"Yes, Chichi. Um… who is Lady Elizabeth?"

"The young master's betrothed."

"Eh?!"

"The wedding is not going to be for a good deal of time."

"Oh. Is she young, too?"

"Yes. And speaking of young, how old are **you** , my dear?"

"My fifth birthday will be coming up in November."

"We will have to celebrate in some way."

"Mother usually makes a cake and sings, and then we play."

"I will try to do something special. Perhaps we can develop our own tradition. Now, I must do something with your hair, and mine, before Lady Francis sees us."

Sebastian pulled out a comb and brush and smoothed back his hair. Then he gently brushed out Neko's.

Like her father, Neko had straight, black hair. Like her mother it was ridiculously long and curled slightly at the tips. Sebastian did a braid on each side of her head, then pulled them together in the back over the rest of her hair, securing them with a ribbon.

When they met with Ciel at the door, Sebastian combed back his hair as well. At exactly four o'clock, Sebastian opened the front door to allow Lady Elizabeth, who ran to embrace Ciel, and Lady Francis, who scrutinized everything, into the mansion.

"Welcome, Lady Elizabeth, Lady Francis."

"I see you two have fixed your hair…"

"Ciel! I missed you so much!"

"Elizabeth! You're suffocating me."

Neko watched them silently from behind Sebastian. When she moved to get a better look at Elizabeth, her bell jingled, attracting everyone's attention.

"And who is this?" Lady Francis inquired, staring pointedly at Neko. Neko curtsied slightly and Sebastian drew her out to his side.

"Forgive me. This is my daughter, Neko. Her mother has found she can no longer care for her, so she has come to stay with me."

Elizabeth stared at her ears, then she yanked her into a big hug, "Oh! She's so cute!"

"Arigato, Elizabeth-sama."

"What?"

"Oh yes. Neko comes from Japan."

"Konichiwa, Elizabeth-sama, Francis-sama."

Francis sniffed, "She certainly is strange. Why does she have those strange ears, and a tail? Some type of birth defect?"

"Pardon me, my lady, but it seems as though you are implying that there is something wrong with my child."

"Chichi, calm down." Everyone stared at her, "I'm used to it."

Elizabeth glared at her mother, "Well I think she's simply adorable! Neko, you can call me Lizzy, if you'd like."

"Hai, Lizzy-chan."

Ciel sighed, "Aren't we supposed to be having tea?"

"Of course, young master. This way, please."

After seating everyone in the parlor, Sebastian turned to Neko, "Neko will be preparing the tea today, to display the ways of her culture." She bowed and hurried to Mey-Rin, who was pushing a cart with the tea and tea set into the room. Neko took the tray and set it before her elders. She placed small, green, ceramic cups in front of them. then she prepared the tea. She served from oldest to youngest. Then she bowed once more and Sebastian took the tray away.

"Plain green tea leaves?" Francis sniffed.

Neko nodded, "It is traditional."

Ciel sniffed his cup, "It certainly isn't weak."

Sebastian returned, "If you leave a bit of tea in your cups, perhaps Neko will read your tea leaves."

"And now she's a fortune teller."

"Madam, I am trying to maintain my calm for my master's sake, but if you insult my daughter again, I will be forced to behave in an unprofessional manner."

Francis sniffed again, "Well, butler, at least you're passionate."

Lizzy smiled, "I think it's a lovely idea!"

They sipped in silence until only a few drops were left in their cups. Neko knelt on a small mat and took Lady Francis's cup first.

"There will be order and consistency in your future. However, in a few years there will be difficult times caused by the loss of a relation."

"Well we have many old relations, and many **distant** old relations."

"This lost relation will be close in relation to you, and also very young. There will be mystery shrouding the loss."

Sebastian and Ciel shared a look.

"Now, Lizzy-chan, your cup please."

"Ooo!"

"I see gentle, sweet things in your future. But there is the same pattern that was in Lady Francis's cup. However, it seems you might be the person most affected by the loss…"

Ciel sighed, "Just do mine and let's get this over with."

"Yoshi." Neko stared into his cup, "Oh. Oh dear… You are caught up in a trap you have willingly placed yourself in. This will not end well for you. Be cautious, deliberate. Never hesitate or feel unsure." Neko frowned, "I can't give you anymore warnings. There really is no way out. But I'm sure you and your keeper already know this."

"His keeper? What nonsense are you spouting now?"

"Madam, I ask that you hold your tongue. My patience is wearing thin."

"Otōsan, please. 'His keeper' refers to the one who holds the other key to the trap, the other person involved. The keeper of the cage key."

Ciel rolled his visible eye, "Is there anything else?"

"Yes."

He looked irritated, "What, then?"

"Happiness. I see joy brought by a new energy that has entered your home."

"Could that mean you, Neko? I mean, you are the newest addition to Ciel's home." Elizabeth suggested.

"I guess it could… Yes, I suppose it could be me. Good thinking, Lizzy-chan. I will do my hardest to make Ciel-sama happy."

"Good."

Sebastian clapped, "Should I get more biscuits?"

"Oh, yes!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"It has been a long day, master."

"Yes. I got a great deal of work done."

"Master, is there something on your mind?"

"Do you believe that? The fortune telling she did?"

"Of course. And I do think she will bring you some happiness. Not that silly fun Lady Elizabeth brings. She has a contagious smile. Even I find it hard to resist smiling back."

"And what of that trap she spoke of?"

"You know very well that she meant our contract."

"And what about Elizabeth and Aunt Francis?"

"I believe she may have been referring to when I will have to take your soul. Lady Elizabeth will become a widow of sorts. And I'm sure Lady Francis will be upset."

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

"Now, I must prepare for tomorrow. Good night, my lord."


End file.
